WEBVTT
3
NEW AT 6:00-- RECENT
VIOLENCE INVOLVING LAW
ENFORCEMENT ACROSS THE COUNTY
HAS A LOCAL UNIVERSITY TAKING
ACTION. ARMSTRONG STATE'S
POLICE DEPARTMENT IS RAMPING
THEIR EFFORTS TO BE MORE
VISIBLE ON CAMPUS. WJCL'S
IS AT ARMSTRONG WITH MORE.
LAUREN?
3
3
HERE IN ARMSTRONG STATE
UNIVERSITY'S STUDENT UNIONS
OFFICERS USE THIS AREA TO
WRITE REPORTS AND TALK TO
STUDENTS.A SIMPLE EFFORT TO
BUILD TRUST BETWEEN LAW
ENFORCEMENT AND PEOPLE WHO
COME TO CAMPUS EVERYDAY.
3
HEY HOW'S IT GOING STACEY
BRAUN WALKS AROUND ARMSTRONG
STATE UNIVERSITY - GREETING
EVERYONE SHE WALKS BY.HEY BACK
AGAIN AS A PATROL OFFICER FOR
UNIVERSITY POLICE - IT'S HER
JOB TO GET OUT OF THE CAR AND
ON TO CAMPUS - AS PART OF A
NEW COMMUNITY POLICING EFFORT.
WE'RE JUST MORE APPROACHABLE
INSTEAD OF BEING STUCK IN A
SQUAD ROOM SOMEWHERE WHERE WE
AREN'T APPROACHABLE BY ANYONE
WHO MIGHT NEED US OR JUST STOP
BY AND SAY HI ARMSTRONG POLICE
SAY IT'S ALL ABOUT TRUST
BETWEEN THESE OFFICERS AND
STUDENTS - ESPECIALLY AFTER
THE VIOLENCE SEEN ACROSS THE
COUNTRY THERE'S BEEN A HUG
WALL BETWEEN US AND THE
GENERAL PUBLIC I THINK THAT'S
WHAT CAUSES A LOT OF ANIMOSITY
BETWEEN POLICE OFFICERS AND
ANYONE WHO ISN'T A POLICE
OFFICER AND IT CAN BE TRICKY -
WITH MOST PEOPLE GLUED TO
THEIR SCREENS.NO ONE KNOWS HOW
TO SPEAK PERSON TO PERSON
EVERYBODY KNOWS HOW TO SPEAK
WITH THEIR PHONES SO THAT'S
WHY BRAUN SAYS IT'S MORE
IMPORTANT THAN EVER TO GET TO
KNOW THESE STUDENTS.A COP AND
A DONUT I CAN'T TURN THAT DOWN
- WHAT IS THIS FOR? OR
EXCELLENT.AND HELP STUDENTS
WHO MIGHT NEED A JUMP START
THANKS -- NATS - HAVE A GOOD
DAY.WE TRY TO BE NOT JUST LIKE
POLICE OFFICERS BUT MORE LIKE
FAMILY IN A TIME WHEN TRUST IS
EARNED - A FAMILIAR FACE CAN
EASE ANY TENSION...BUILD
COOPERATION AND CREATE A
COMMUNITY.ANYTHING THAT WILL
BREAK SOME GROUNDS BETWEEN US
AND THEM OPEN A COMMON PATHWAY
THAT'S WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR
AND SO FAR IT SEEMS TO BE
WORKING
3
SINCE THEY'VE STARTED THIS
NEW COMMUNITY POLICING EFFORT
- STUDENTS ARE CONFIDING IN
OFFICERS - SHARING MORE WITH
THEM THAN BEFORE.WE'RE LIVE IN
SAVANNAH TONIGHT LAUREN
BRADLEY WJCL 22 NEWS.

Armstrong State University ramps up community policing efforts

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Updated: 10:16 PM EST Dec 5, 2016

SAVANNAH, Ga. —

Recent violence involving law enforcement across the country has a local university taking action this week with Armstrong State University's Police Department ramping up efforts to be more visible on campus.

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Officer Tracy Braun said the new community policing effort gets officers out of the their patrol cars and onto campus.

"We're just more approachable instead of being stuck in a squad room," said Braun, "somewhere where we aren't approachable by anyone who might need us or just stop by and say hi, we're sitting right there with them."

Inside Armstrong's student union, officers set up a station where they can write reports and interact with students.

Armstrong police said it’s all about trust between officers and students. Braun said there has been a lot of animosity between law enforcement and the general public.

She chalks it up to a smartphone addicted culture.

"No one knows how to speak person to person," Braun said."Everybody knows how to speak with their phones."

Braun said it's more important than ever to invest in a conversation and build relationships.

"We try to be not just police officers, but more like family members," Braun said.

In a time when trust is hard-earned, she said a familiar face can ease any tension, build cooperation and create a community -- the goal of the Armstrong's policing effort.

"Anything that will break some grounds between us and them, open a common pathway that's what we’re looking for," explained Braun. "So far, it seems to be working."